Ron.M -> RE: How long is a piece of string? (Jun. 21 2004 10:56:00)
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Hi Rob, The main thing I've found out in this music is that you can never get satisfactory answers to questions, just opinions. LOL! Another difficulty is in knowing the question to ask. I think Dave made a good point in saying that a lot of difficulties arise from listening to Flamenco from a "western/classical" viewpoint. I think the guitar in Flamenco can only really be understood in the context of supporting the cante or baile. Solo guitar is a relatively recent thing, and even now, it is not rated all that highly by Spanish Flamencos (except other guitarists), even though it has been the main factor in Flamenco's huge rise in popularity outside Spain. I remember reading a review of Paco Peña's first album by a Classical player, who commented that his pieces have a clear introduction, a middle and an end, unlike a lot of other Flamenco guitarists he had heard. I have to agree with him here, as around that time quite a lot of solo guitar pieces I heard had some kind of an intro, then a string of falsetas, then just stopped. LOL! The guitar has become infinitely more sophisticated now, with complex syncopation, chords and structure as well as requiring a near virtuoso technique even to get your foot on the bottom rung of the ladder as a professional. Also, the solo artist is rare these days, being replaced by musical combos featuring other instruments, so a more structured arrangement is required. I agree with Jon that a "modular" approach is helpful to us learners, as it's often the only way we can put something together to play. But it's obviously not as simple as that, as you can't take a mixture of falsetas from say, PdL, Sabicas and Sanlucar and join them up, for even if they fit "technically", the overall piece won't scan. I am totally amazed by the variations that guitarists come up with in exploring the tonal and rhythmic landscapes of the various toques. As a learner myself, I tend to "modularize" stuff in order to get a grip on some of the material, but I have been listening to things, like certain "simple" Bulerias falsetas where the phrasing is 18 beats long etc, so the opportunities for creativity, both tonally and rhythmically are seemingly endless. BTW I know this has not even begun to answer your original questions! [:D][:D] cheers Ron
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